Gold

{36}

"What? Are you sure?" I asked Aurora and she nodded.

Emma reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a photo of Henry. "The boy you saw in your dream, is that him?" She asked Aurora, who nodded.

"Yes, that's Henry." She said and Snow and I exchanged a look. There was only one way she was communicating with Henry. There was a connection between the two of them, a connection that existed because of the sleeping curse.

"That's impossible. It was a dream. How could you dream of my son?" Emma asked Aurora, who looked just as confused.

"I have no idea." She told us.

"Maybe it wasn't a dream." Snow said and Emma and Aurora glanced to her in surprise.

"What?" Emma asked.

"That room- the red room Aurora was talking about- I've been there." Snow admitted and for some reason Aurora looked betrayed.

"When I told you about it, you didn't say anything." Aurora accused.

"You were terrified. I didn't want to make things worse by telling you I thought it might be real." Snow defended herself.

"A room in a dream is real?" Mulan asked, walking over to us.

"The Sleeping Curse. It has to be. I went through it, Aurora went through it." Snow explained and Emma's face fell.

"Henry went through it because I wouldn't believe him." She said sadly and I placed my hand on hers. "Thats not fair, Em. It isn't your fault." I told her, but she didn't look too convinced.

"What else did you lie about?" Aurora asked Snow all of a sudden, drawing Emma and my attention back to the group.

"I wasnt lying! I was trying to protect you!" Snow said once again, but Aurora just looked away from her.

"What did he say? Henry. In the dream?" Emma asked Aurora.

"He just said his name. Then I woke up. I'm sorry." Aurora said to us. "There's no reason to be sorry for something you can't control, like waking up." I told Aurora, who gave me a grateful smile.

"Emma, it's going to be okay." Snow said suddenly and I recognized her tone. She was trying to force her optimism to work. Emma didn't look like she was having it though. "We are so far from okay." Emma said angrily.

"No, no, we have a way home now." Snow piped up.

"We have a compass. And the wardrobe ashes are still with Cora." Emma argued.

"Any attempt to steal from her would be suicide." Mulan added.

"Not anymore. We can stop her." Snow said and Mulan looked at her. "How?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I know someone who can." Snow said, glancing at me. I caught on immediately.

"Rumplestiltskin. And also, coincidentally, my fiance." I told them, waiting for the shock and accusations to be thrown my way. But, to my surprise, Mulan and Aurora didn't seem fazed at all. I smiled to myself at that. Maybe not everyone hated Rumple.

"Henry. We can talk to Gold through Henry." Emma said, looking hopeful for the first time in a while.

"Wait. Wait." Aurora said, looking fearful. "Oh yeah, princess. You're going back to sleep." Emma said and Aurora looked away from her.

Mulan led Aurora away then, to the camp where she could sleep. I felt bad for her. I grabbed Emma and Snow and pulled them aside. "Doesn't this feel a little wrong to you? We're basically just forcing Aurora to go through that terrible room just to get home." I told them and they looked away guiltily.